How many Earth-like planets are out there?
The answer, in layman’s terms, is “oodles and oodles.”
That’s what astrobiologist Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Washington told a news conference. Then, according to a Shanghai Daily article, Boss added, “Someday, we’ll be able to stand outside … and say ‘Hey kids, look out there see that star? That one has an Earth.’”
Boss’s certainty isn’t just wishful thinking. It’s the result of the Kepler telescope’s first sighting of a Jupiter-sized planet, along with readings that suggest that Kepler is well able to find and study much smaller planets. With its unique collection of instruments, Kepler is actually able to observe planetary atmospheres and provide information about their composition.
What that means, of course, is that Kepler should be able to find Earth-sized planets. Ascertain their orbits. Describe their atmospheric conditions. And — conceivably — even provide us with basic information about whether or not life exists on the surface.
How many Earth-like planets is Kepler really likely to find? It seems that “oodles” isn’t an understatement. Right now, researchers are looking at Kepler’s observations of more than 50,000 stars. Surely, out there somewhere, we’ll find at least a few more Earths.
Photo courtesy of NASA